Organizations such as corporations often define or standardize procedures to be followed by employees or other personnel of the organizations. The procedures could represent any suitable sequence of steps required to perform a specific function, satisfy a particular objective, or otherwise achieve a specified goal. As an example, procedures could be defined to specify how particular operations in a petrochemical plant should be performed. By standardizing its procedures, an organization may encourage the use of streamlined or improved processes and reduce potential risks.
Even though procedures may be defined or standardized with an organization, problems may still occur when the procedures are actually implemented. These problems may include personnel failing to comply with a procedure, having an inadequate amount of time to complete a procedure, having a procedure that is irrelevant to a particular task at hand, or having a procedure that is too lengthy or hard to read. Some of these problems are based on the ways that procedures are presented and how the procedures are used. Not all procedures are alike, and a procedure may have different requirements based on the context of use and the technology being employed.